skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, July 26, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Arson attacks paralyze French high-speed rail network hours before start of Olympics, the Obamas endorse Harris for President; A NY county creates facial recognition, privacy protections; Art breathes new life into pollution-ravaged MI community; 34 Years of the ADA.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Harris meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu and calls for a ceasefire. MI Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces backlash for a protest during Netanyahu's speech. And VA Sen. Mark Warner advocates for student debt relief.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

There's a gap between how rural and urban folks feel about the economy, Colorado's 'Rural is Rad' aims to connect outdoor businesses, more than a dozen of Maine's infrastructure sites face repeated flooding, and chocolate chip cookies rock August.

Environmental groups want NV Energy to 'step up,' deliver on promises

play audio
Play

Tuesday, January 16, 2024   

Individuals and environmental groups have had their input on NV Energy's 2024 Integrated Resource Plan, which some say will play a big role in the state's energy future. The feedback session was mandated under Assembly Bill 524 which passed last year to increase transparency and engage Nevadans in energy decisions.

NV Energy says one of its biggest challenges will be meeting the state's rapidly growing power demands, while also ensuring reliability, affordability and sustainability.

Tracy Puckett, 30-year Las Vegas resident, wants to know why the company isn't tapping into more renewables, like solar.

"Why are we wasting this opportunity for our state to benefit in so many ways?" Puckett asked. "Decrease air pollution, decrease greenhouse production, clean good-paying jobs and stable energy costs are among the few benefits of maximizing solar energy."

Nevada ranks sixth in the nation for solar energy production, and just over 25% of the state's electricity comes from solar, according to Solar Energy Industries Association.

Puckett thinks the state should maximize solar use on large buildings and parking structures, instead of breaking ground on new, industrial-scale solar projects that could negatively affect wildlife and ecosystems.

Yazmyn Pelaez, communications director for the Nevada Conservation League, called on NV Energy to "step up and deliver on its promises of stable, affordable and clean power for all Nevadans." Pelaez said NV Energy claims it is working toward a commitment to reach 100% clean energy in Nevada, but argued its actions tell a different story.

"The utility has continued to expand gas-powered generation, with more than half of the state's energy coming from gas. This has made Nevada more exposed and dependent on a single out-of-state fuel source and more vulnerable to wild swings in electric bills," Pelaez said.

NV Energy points to the diversity of its renewables portfolio, which includes 15 geothermal projects, 26 solar projects and nearly a dozen wind, biomass, hydro and waste-heat projects.

Pelaez said she wants to see NV Energy provide a transparent and comprehensive plan that aligns with the state's clean energy and climate objectives.

Disclosure: Nevada Conservation League contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Climate Change/Air Quality, Public Lands/Wilderness, Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
According to the Tax Policy Center, for higher-income earners, sales taxes consume a lower share of their income than for other households. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Nebraska state lawmakers convene for a special session on property tax reform called by Gov. Jim Pillen, groups are weighing in on the details …


play sound

Traveling around rural Minnesota can be difficult but in more than half the state, nonprofit transit systems are helping people get where they need …

Social Issues

play sound

Student loan forgiveness took center stage on Thursday at the American Federation of Teachers conference. The Biden administration has canceled more …


Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has introduced legislation to codify the Chevron Deference into law. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Recent Supreme Court rulings on air pollution are affecting Virginia and the nation. Climate advocates said the court overstepped its bounds in …

Health and Wellness

play sound

World Hepatitis Day is this Sunday, and for the Oregon Health Authority, it's an opportunity to promote its plan to eliminate hepatitis across the …

The Gender Shades project revealed facial recognition performed poorest for darker-skinned women, and performed best for lighter-skinned men. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Columbia County, New York, is implementing new facial recognition and privacy policies, following new upgrades to the county's surveillance cameras…

Health and Wellness

play sound

New York disability-rights advocates are celebrating the 34th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 1990 …

Social Issues

play sound

As summer winds down and North Carolina students prepare to return to school, the focus shifts to the urgent need for better public education funding…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021